Trial Outcome Favors Defense

A homicide trial at the Mohave County courthouse ended Friday in an acquittal and a hung jury. The Superior Court jury found 44-year-old Chase Salveson, Bullhead City, not guilty in the 2011 murder of Ray Sanchez, who was stabbed 84 times. The jury was not able to reach a unanimous verdic on a conspriacy to commit murder charge, so Salveson could be tried again on that count. The verdicts suggest that the jury was unable to decide whether Salveson was involved in the murder plot, but did not believe that the state met its burden of proof that Salveson killed Sanchez.